


Even If It Hurts

by Kingrey



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)
Genre: Crying, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Introspection, thankfully they have each other to do that :'), they both have some stuff to work through
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:27:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28384746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kingrey/pseuds/Kingrey
Summary: There are days when the tears can't help but fall, no matter how much Rapunzel and Eugene don't want them to.There are days when these tears are shed for family; for the one they lost, the one they found, and the one they created.
Relationships: Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider/Rapunzel
Comments: 19
Kudos: 69





	1. The one they lost

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SecondhandLovers](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SecondhandLovers/gifts).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She's here, curled up on herself, her head on her knees and her arms circling them. The only thing he can see of her is her dishevelled blond hair, and the pale blue of her night gown, looking almost white in the moonlight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a gift for Steph, aka SecondhandLovers!! Steph I hope you have the best holidays, ily, you're such an amazing writer and I'm so happy to be your friend!!
> 
> As for the content of this... Remember when I made Eugene cry for christmas? Well what if I made them BOTH cry to end this year well fdhsjhdjks  
> This is 3 chap long, the 1st two are around 2k words and the last one is shorter, around 1k! I hope you'll enjoy them, I'll post one a day to space them out a little!

Sometimes, Rapunzel cries.

It's the most heartbreaking sight that has ever met Eugene because... Because Rapunzel should never look small and defeated. When Rapunzel smiled, the world became brighter; when she laughed, the sound echoed to the confines of the universe, and made it kinder; when she danced, the stars danced with her. Rapunzel changed the world simply by being herself, and she was supposed to stand tall and proud as she finally lived the life she had dreamt about for years. And even when she wasn't happy - even when she was angry, or sad, or even jealous, her emotions were big enough to overturn everything around her, because Rapunzel doesn't try to hide her existence from the world anymore.

Except when she cries.

Rapunzel cries alone. She cries at night, if she can. She hides from everyone and lets her tears fall as silently as possible, trying to contain the tremors of her body as she curls up on herself. Rapunzel cries like someone who had lived with no privacy, and had to hide her tears from the controlling mother that would use them against her - she cries as if she's back to the tower with Gothel, and she's trying to disappear.

Eugene isn't sure she would have let him witness her breakdowns for a long time if he didn't surprise her during one. It... stings, a little, even though he'll never admit it to anyone - but it's the idea that he hasn't made himself safe and trustworthy enough for Rapunzel to rely on him that hurts the most. He wasn't upset with her at all, more with himself, when he stumbled upon her crying, and realised that she would have kept it all to herself if he hadn't. She had hurried to brush her tears away while he was trying to come up with a good thing to say. There was nothing. But he went to sit right next to her, and held her in silence, and somehow, he thinks that was... good. Not the best, but what she needed.

That doesn't mean he's prepared for the next time. Or the next. Or the next.

When he opens the door to her bedroom that night, and sees an empty bed and a worried chameleon looking over its edge, his stomach twists with worry immediately. He knows, before even hearing her muffled sobs, that she's not okay.

"Sunshine," he says quietly, more to announce himself than anything else. She doesn't answer, so he gently pads across the room, to get to the other side of her bed.

She's here, curled up on herself, her head on her knees and her arms circling them. The only thing he can see of her is her dishevelled blond hair, and the pale blue of her night gown, looking almost white in the moonlight.

Eugene sits down softly. He lets Pascal climb on his shoulder, patting his head gently to try and make the worried frog smile. Rapunzel doesn't acknowledge him.

He can hear the jerky sounds of her breathing she can't muffle.

"Sunshine?" he asks. "Can I hold your hand?"

She doesn't move for a few seconds. He opens his mouth to say that it's okay if she doesn't want to, but it's at this moment that she slowly lowers her left arm, and blindly seeks his hand. He takes hers immediately, and feels her squeeze his fingers tightly. Her hand is cold. Shaky.

Eugene scooches over, until his shoulder touches hers. He knows she won't talk if she doesn't want to. He knows it'll still help, to feel that he's right there, and that he won't move, for as long as she needs him.

"You need to breathe, Sunshine," he murmurs at some point. Her intake of air turns into a tiny sob, and the only thing he can do is rub her knuckles with his thumb gently.

Thinking that she could have gone through all of this alone, only to pretend that nothing happened the next day, makes his heart hurt. He's glad, in a way, for forgetting his book in her room. He's glad he hasn't waited for tomorrow to get it back.

Rapunzel's voice is so muted he may not have heard it, if he wasn't listening closely. "Can you..." she murmurs, trailing off for a few seconds. "Can you try to distract me?"

It's as close to asking for help as Rapunzel can allow herself. Eugene smiles, knowing she can't see it, and softly starts to hum a melody. He doesn't remember the face of the kid who used to sing lullabies when Eugene was still part of the younger kids; but he does remember her voice, and the lyrics. He feels a little silly singing. He hasn't done so in a long while, and though the lyrics aren't nonsensical, they're not that deep either - it's about someone knocking on their neighbours' doors in the middle of the night, asking for a quill.

As ridiculous as he feels, he doesn't stop. Rapunzel uncurls her legs quietly, and leans over so her head can rest on his chest. He passes his arm around her waist, and grabs her hand again with his other one, holding it on his lap as he rests his head on the top of hers. He keeps singing, his voice the only sound in the quiet, her tremors the only thing he can feel. It's not hard for him to make up a new verse on the fly, and so he keeps the story going, imagining how each new neighbour would react.

Rapunzel laughs wetly when he messes up a rhyme.

"Still not the best poet in Corona, am I?" he smiles.

"You're amazing." Rapunzel sounds too raw as she says this; he doesn't think she's talking about his poetry skills. She hesitates. "How does the story end? Do they find a quill?"

"I'm sure they do. Though, I've always wondered why anyone would need a quill so late in the night."

"Maybe… Maybe they had a bad dream," Rapunzel says morosely. "Maybe they needed to pai- write their thoughts to feel better, but they couldn't find a quill."

Eugene squeezes her side gently for a moment, wishing he was in a better position so he could kiss her forehead. He knows that when she's upset, kissing her hair will only make her feel more scared.

He starts singing again, and makes the last verse about a nice neighbour, finally opening their door. They give the person singing a quill, and invite them to stay for the night, so they don't have to be alone.

"Thank you, Eugene." He thinks she's smiling as she says that, so he smiles too.

"Of course, Sunshine. Do you want me to keep going? I still have a lot of rhymes in store, like… cheese and bees." That makes her laugh, but she shakes her head, and they fall into silence for a moment. Rapunzel isn't crying anymore, and as long as she's comfortable, Eugene doesn't mind.

"I didn’t even fall asleep," she whispers. Her voice is always really quiet when she's sad; he thinks it's because she doesn't want anyone to hear her. It breaks his heart. "I was… I thought about Gothel."

She doesn't keep going. He squeezes her hand, and asks if she wants to talk about it. She nods, but the silence stretches on for a little bit longer.

"I was talking with my mom about cakes this morning," Rapunzel chuckles weakly. "I was telling her about how much I loved baking, and… I… Gothel is the one who taught me how to bake," she whispers.

She shifts, and he hugs her closer, hearing how fast her heart is still beating. She's shaking.

"Gothel was… She wasn't a good mother, even though I never really understood that back then. But she wasn't always… She- learning to bake is a good memory," Rapunzel says, sounding frustrated. "She doesn- didn't have much patience, but she helped me make my first cake, and told me it was a good first attempt and- and-"

"Hey," he breathes, before letting go of her waist so he can turn and look at her. He gently moves her hair back, his hand on her warm cheek, and there's no mistaking the new tears running down her face. "Hey, Sunshine-"

"Why do I _miss_ her?"

Her voice trembles and breaks when she asks that, and her shoulders start to shake again, even though she desperately tries to restrain herself. Suddenly, she's throwing herself in his arms, hiding her face in the crook of his neck, and he can't do anything but hug her back tightly.

"My real mom was right in front of me, and all I could think about was _her_ ," Rapunzel keeps going, gripping onto his shirt tightly. "And even now, I can't- I can't stop this feeling, despite how much I want to. I _shouldn't-_ I…"

"Rapunzel, you… Gothel was your mother, for eighteen years," Eugene says. He's deathly afraid of telling her something he shouldn't, something that would hurt her, but the idea of Rapunzel blaming herself for the feelings she can't help is an even scarier perspective. "You _loved_ her. You loved her, because you've always had so much love to give, and you've always given it without any condition. And that…"

Softly, he pushes her, and she lets go easily. He touches her chin, and guides her head up, until her bright and shining eyes meet his.

"That's nothing to be ashamed of, Sunshine."

Her lips tremble, but this time, she doesn't try to hide the silent tears falling from her eyes. Cupping her face, he brushes one away with his thumb, before pressing a soft kiss on her forehead. She melts in his arms once again, but… but she doesn't hold back her sobs anymore. And it hurts, it hurts to see Rapunzel break down, it hurts to hear the tired and pained sounds she makes, but it's a relief too, because at least, she's allowing herself to be heard.

She's allowing herself to feel, without trying to punish herself for it.

"I wish I never had to think about her again," she mumbles against his skin, knowing that he's listening to her no matter how quiet she's being. "I- I- Sometimes I wish she had been an awful monster to me all the time, so I could simply… hate her. I don't _want_ good memories."

"Good memories don't mean that your anger or hurt are less real Sunshine. Good memories don't mean that what she did to you wasn't awful. I- I can't imagine how you feel right now," he admits, "but I know that you don't have to meet a quota of bad things to have the right to feel like you do. And… And missing her, missing the good moments of your childhood, it's as normal as being angry, no one will ever fault you for it."

This part is harder to say for him, because there's nothing but hatred for Gothel in his heart. He'll never forgive her for what she did to Rapunzel, and he- he might not have planned killing her when he cut Rapunzel's hair, but he never regretted it. His feelings aren't what's important here however. What's important is that Rapunzel needs love, and support, and he'll always give it to her. Of course eighteen years of emotional abuse weren't entirely composed of suffering - thank god they weren't! But as confusing as these memories might be, they were part of Rapunzel too.

There was no part of her that was unlovable.

"I'm worried missing her makes me a bad person," Rapunzel whispers.

"I think it simply makes you human." 

She laughs softly at his answer, and stays quietly in the warmth of his arms, one hand laying above his heart. He doesn't mind at all. He'd die for her in a heartbeat if she asked it of him; spending the night holding her is nothing in comparison. She's his everything.

"I've got another song if you want," he smiles, and when she nods, he starts humming it, happy to feel her settle more comfortably against him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have so many feelings about Rapunzel dealing with her trauma and how complex her emotions must be and fhsdshjs i know tts is a disney show but i wish we got more exploration of the way it's probably still hurting her!
> 
> anyway i love her and i will give her as many eugene hugs as i can because she deserves all the hugs


	2. The one they found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite trying, the words will not come. His breath is cut off by the tears he won't shed, taking too much place in his chest until he feels nothing but them. He doesn't want to cry, but he's not sure if it's stopping talking or keeping at it that will tip him over the edge. Maybe there's no escaping this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eugene's turn >:)
> 
> fdhgsgfhj by now you should all know i like making eugene cry, because if the show won't let him deal with his feelings, I WILL

Eugene... Eugene doesn't cry often. It doesn't suit him. People think it's another example of him being conceited when he says he has an ugly crying face, because after all, everyone is ugly when they cry, but it's- it's more complicated than that.

Eugene is an ugly crier. He's a loud crier too, because he can't stand sitting around in deafening silence while his world feels like it's crumbling around him. He needs to move, to talk, to do anything so he can ignore his tears as much as possible and that made him an absolute nightmare to deal with as a child, or so he was told.

He doesn't remember crying often enough to be an annoyance. He does remember, somewhat, the feeling of being scolded by people who were as tall as giants, yelling for him to shut up. He's an adult now, and he's not sure if this is a memory or a dream, but he feels like there's definitely a part of truth in this. He probably deserved the yelling, to be honest, because he must have been impossible to deal with back then. Crying kids were annoying, and the matrons would often let them cry all night instead of doing anything (Eugene knew, because he was the one who got up and read them stories so they could calm down); _he_ had always been extra annoying, making potential families flee with his general attitude. A mix of the two was definitely headache worthy, so they did their best for him to stop crying.

They mostly succeeded.

Eugene can count the number of times he cried in the last five years on the fingers of his hand - and it's exactly once, when he was about to die and leave Rapunzel behind. He had been terrified, for her and for himself, and the tears had come naturally. He had been too tired to fight them. After that, though, he had begun his no crying streak anew, and it was only a deaged Lance that nearly broke it.

Eugene has a soft spot for crying kids, it's not his fault.

But Lance didn't make him cry. Getting hurt during their adventures didn't make him cry, practically betraying the woman he loved most didn't make him cry, meeting his long lost father didn't make him cry-

Except.

Except they go back to Corona, Eugene with one father more and one friend less. They go back, and Rapunzel is a mess, so he tries to be there for her when she needs it, tries to be the support she has trouble asking for. And then, his father- Edmund comes back, with dreams of reconnecting with his long lost son, and Rapunzel is excited at the prospect, and Eugene wants Rapunzel to be happy and... He gets roped into a weird adventure, and despite the still present hurt, Edmund and him make amends.

He still doesn't cry. He has no reason to anymore, after all.

So when the tears come anyway, the overwhelming mix of anger and shame nearly chokes him with how suddenly it takes over him. He flees his conversation with Edmund with the flimsiest excuse, and practically runs to his bedroom in a desperate dash for privacy.

He won't cry. "I won't cry," he repeats out loud, unsure of who he's trying to convince - but his voice wobbles on the last word.

He closes his fists, takes a deep breath, and holds it in for as long as he can in fear of a sob breaking out of his chest. His eyes are burning and nothing is working and he's going to _cry_ but- but-- He grabs the first object he can get his hands on and throws it down harshly, cringing at the sound of broken glass that follows. Through the blurring of his eyes, he understands that it was a glass of water, and that makes him feel like even more of an idiot because- because-

He can't breathe. He stumbles and sits down heavily on his bed, putting his palms over his eyes in the vain hope of stopping the process - but he can already feel the ugly twisting of his face as he tries to keep it all in, and soon-

"Eugene?"

He startles badly, and turns towards the voice, blinking his eyes rapidly. Of course she's here now. "Sunshine," he laughs, or coughs, he isn't sure, and he can see more clearly for now - clear enough to notice the frown clearly forming on her face, or the concern in her eyes. "What- uh, what are you doing here?"

His voice is still wobbling. Kindly, Rapunzel doesn't comment on it.

"A handmaiden heard a crash in your room," she smiles gently, looking at the broken glass on the ground. "She was worried, so she told me."

"Ah. Yeah, that, be- be careful about the glass, I don't want you to cut your feet because of me. Because, you know," he babbles as she quietly makes her way over him, "going barefoot everywhere can be dangerous. Well, you obviously know that, and I'm not trying to tell you what to do but- uh... that's... something to consider?" he finishes lamely.

Rapunzel doesn't answer him, simply sitting down next to him. Her shoulder is warm against his. She smells like strawberry, today, and he wonders if she was in the middle of one of her baking endeavours. He hopes he hasn't interrupted her, all because he grew too angry and threw a freaking glass to the ground like an idiot, probably scaring some poor handmaiden in the process.

"Eugene," Rapunzel repeats, in that way she has of saying his name full of love and affection, and free of any judgement. "Are you okay?"

Once again, Eugene tears up like a baby. He starts looking stubbornly at the wall, in the vain hope that she doesn't see it.

"Oh you know," he laughs, the sound bitter and angry, "just trying to strike a discussion with my dear old father- that wasn't even a father to me until like two months ago!" His voice gets loud again, but the remarks about being an annoying crier are forgotten for a second, as he tries to explain. "And here I come, simply trying to understand hi- to understand _my_ life better, and he- he- he refuses!" Eugene stutters painfully, feeling his breaths getting caught in his chest.

His cheeks are hurting from the way they're scrunching up unnaturally. His hands are balled around the sheets of his bed, and he feels like he's falling apart at the seams, trying to hold himself together through sheer willpower. It's not working. And so he keeps talking, hoping that his mouth will move faster than his mind, and that it'll be enough.

"He's really- He really thinks because he's my _father_ he has a right to decide what's good for me but he- he lost that right," he exclaims, voice breaking on the "lost", heart breaking at the memories. "Each time I think I'm forgiving him, each time... Each time I think we _can_ be family, I remember just how much he fucked up, and how that fucked _me_ up, and I- I-"

He can't take a breath after that, but Rapunzel softly takes his hand, and his lungs somewhat remember what they're supposed to do.

"It's okay to be angry, Eugene," she whispers, her voice so quiet next to his and yet echoing louder in his mind. "No one expects you to be okay immediately."

"Really?" he laughs, a short burst that doesn't convince anyone, "because Edmund expects me to be fine with him. A lot of people think it's _so_ great that I'm actually a Prince, and can't even imagine- can't- he abandoned me!" Eugene explodes. "He abandoned me, as a child, and he knew how much I was suffering, he had all the wanted posters! He knew I was thieving to survive and... And that means he knew about the nights sleeping outside, being so hungry I felt like my stomach was eating itself. He knew about the living out there in the cold, he knew about me nearly getting killed on a daily basis, he maybe even knew about that time I thought Lance was going to die and I was going to be all alone and-"

He can't finish that sentence. He still hasn't looked at Rapunzel, but he feels her thumb slowly stroking his hand, gently trying to calm him down.

"He _knew_ ," he breathes out quietly, heart thumping in his chest. "And I know he had his reasons but- but I didn't deserve that. I know I didn't." Rapunzel hums quietly. His head hurts. His throat feels raw, and he remembers that he's an _ugly, loud crier, will you shut up Eugene-_

But he won't shut up. He wants to, really - he wishes he was strong enough to compose himself but... He hasn't had a proper breakdown in a decade, and it's all crashing down on him, bringing everything he built down with it.

"I asked him about my mom," Eugene admits quietly, "and he didn't want to talk about it. Said it was- a touchy subject for him. As if- as if it isn't for me," he chuckles, feeling really cold. "Two months ago, I didn't know I had a mother, and now I'm grieving a nameless woman I only saw in a painting, all because he- he- because he-"

Despite trying, the words will not come. His breath is cut off by the tears he won't shed, taking too much place in his chest until he feels nothing but them. He doesn't want to cry, but he's not sure if it's stopping talking or keeping at it that will tip him over the edge. Maybe there's no escaping this.

"It's so stupid," Eugene rages, against Edmund and against himself, his voice way weaker than he wants it to be. "I- I should be happy right? But- He's so- he- _this is stupid!_ And- And who even names their kids Horace?!"

Of course that's the exact moment Eugene can't hold back his tears anymore. For fucking Horace, when it was supposed to be a joke so he could get a grip on himself. But maybe it's not just the name. Maybe it's about meeting someone who did so much harm to you, and having to fight them over the simple thing of being called your chosen name, like you had to fight so many people before him; maybe it's about spending years hating everything that made you who you are, before finally coming to terms with your identity, _finally_ seeing something worth loving in yourself, only to discover that it was all a lie anyway.

In the end, it doesn't matter. Eugene starts crying, and tries to hide his face in his hands, but Rapunzel doesn't let go of the one she's holding. His head is swimming. She tugs him towards her, and suddenly he's sobbing on her shoulder, feeling like a pathetic idiot for it. And of course he doesn't stop babbling, about how stupid this all is, and how he shouldn't even be crying anyway, because there was way worse in life and he was _fine_.

Rapunzel doesn't say much. She tells him to breathe, mostly, and gently congratulates him when he does. She tells him that he's okay. She tells him that she loves him.

She doesn't say much, but she says exactly what he needs.

"I'm sorry," he chuckles wetly, shivering a little when he feels her fingers on the nap of his neck. "This isn’t… You already have a lot on your shoulders, and I'm putting more weight on them. Quite literally."

He hopes for a laugh at the joke, hopes he can pretend again that everything's fine and that he has absolutely no issues with discovering where he's from more than twenty years late.

"Eugene," Rapunzel says instead, her voice tainted by an unmistakable seriousness, "I don't care about what's going on for me, I- I _always_ want you to be able to confide in me." She sounds sad. He remembers these times, when he was worried it was his fault that she preferred to cry alone; if he had done anything that made her feel like she couldn't trust him with her sorrows.

He wonders if he made her feel the same. He wonders if she also feels the same as he does on the subject - not that there's a lack of trust, but a deep desire to protect the other from everything that could needlessly hurt them, even if it's their own emotions. Eugene doesn't rely on others easily; neither does Rapunzel.

After all this time, he's still sometimes surprised to see how similar they can be.

"I'm sorry," Rapunzel breathes out this time, and she keeps him from straightening up as she continues. "I'm sorry I've been so busy and preoccupied, I… I hate that you've been hurting, and that I wasn't here for you."

Eugene's automatic answer is to deny this, but he still has his head on her shoulder, after basically breaking down for who knows how many minutes, so he doesn't think she'll believe him. He _is_ hurting, even if it's hard to admit. He hasn't been quite the same since the Dark Kingdom - since meeting his father, since losing Cassandra, since seeing the love of his life so broken over the betrayal. He hasn't been the same, but he also hasn't allowed himself to be different, because it was never the time for him to simply… allow himself to be sad.

"We're both hurting," he finally answers, tightening his grip around her slightly. "I- I think we're just trying our best, you and me. I think… I think that's okay, for now."

He's still sniffling. His face is uncomfortably hot from the crying, and he really doesn't want anyone to see the mess he is right now. But in her arms, Eugene forgets to care. He forgets about the scoldings he once received, forgets about his fears of being judged, and just hugs Rapunzel for as long as he can.

They stay like this for a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this!! Tomorrow is the last chapter, it's shorter (only 1K) but I think it's cute fgsdhjfj
> 
> I wish we got a name for Eugene's mom... or like. anything really :/ Also I like Edmund but he's kind of an ass in the beginning asfgsgh  
> My idea for starting this was like... Rapunzel is mostly open about her (positive) emotions, but she gets quiet and shuts down when it's time to cry. For his part, Eugene usually doesn't let himself be vulnerable and keeps things close to his chest, but crying breaks through his barriers and suddenly he can't stop himself from talking (which he /hates/). Idk if that translates well in the fic but what can i say, i like parallels fdsgdhd
> 
> Thank you for reading! See you tomorrow (i hope!)


	3. The one they created

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eventually, after many adventures, Rapunzel and Eugene get married.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyy last chapter!
> 
> As I said before, it's smaller than the first two, but it's very fluffy asgfdsg so i hope you'll enjoy it!!

Eventually, after many adventures, Rapunzel and Eugene get married.

Eugene doesn't think he has stopped smiling since he said "I do". He doesn't feel like he can ever stop.

The party lasted well into the evening, the entire kingdom seemingly celebrating within the castle walls - and yet, Eugene only had eyes for Rapunzel. They danced and laughed and kissed, and their hands had barely even left each other's. Now that they're making their way back into their bedroom, their hands are still solidly linked together, and the warmth he can feel in his palm seems to encompass his entire body.

They're giggling like idiots as they fall on their bed together, and Eugene peppers kisses all over Rapunzel's face, revelling in her laughter and the smile he can feel under his lips.

"Eugene!" she exclaims, and he raises himself up so they can both beam at each other like the fools they are, before laughing again, his head resting on her shoulder for a moment before he lifts it back up.

Rapunzel's cheeks are flushed. Her eyes are shining under the moonlight, and her hair is spread out under her head, the brown individual strands like rays of sunshine crowning her. Eugene feels like he's losing his breath simply by looking at her, and then he kisses her deeply, and loses it for real. She bites at his lips gently and he clenches his eyes shut, lost in the sensation of her mouth under his. Her hands on his back push him tighter against her, until he can feel each movement of her chest against his own.

"We're married," she whispers when they have to stop and breathe. She softly pushes the stray lock of hair in front of his eyes back behind his ear, and takes that opportunity to cup his cheek. He can feel it warm under her palm, a blush he can't control as his heart flutters from the way she's looking at him.

"I love you," he answers, throat tight, and he's pretty embarrassed to feel his eyes water against his will. He's... He has never been as happy as he is now. Which is crazy, because he remembers thinking the exact same thing before; that he couldn't be happier. And yet, Rapunzel keeps finding ways to prove him wrong about that one.

"Are you crying?" she asks, as fond as she is amused, and Eugene can't take it personally when she herself has tears in her own eyes.

"What if I am?" he still answers cheekily, before yelping when she moves him around so they're both lying down, and looking at each other. They're close enough for his hair to brush against hers, close enough that he could kiss her again with no trouble.

"This is the best day of my life," Rapunzel admits, and he's not surprised exactly, but his heart still misses a beat when he hears it.

"It's mine too. I..."

He's not sure there's any word who could convey the way he feels right now. As he's looking at her- as he's looking at his _wife_ , he remembers with a smile, he can't help but think about a time where he had no future he could envision for himself. He remembers a time when the thought of dying young had its appeal, a time when his "friends" were all people willing to sell him out for a better deal, a time when... when he watched, from the orphanage's window, all the potential families leave after discovering how unbearable he was. It's hard to believe some of these were still true only years prior. It's hard to believe how much he himself changed, how... how happy he is now, when the emotion had felt so foreign when he first met Rapunzel.

Oh, yeah, he was really crying now.

"Eugene?"

"Sorry," he laughs, trying to blink the tears out. "I'm simply... I'm so happy Rapunzel. I love you so much, and I- I can't believe that we're married, that we're really going to spend our lives together-"

"That was never a question," she interrupts, passing her arms around his shoulders until there's practically no space left between them. "There were a lot of things I had doubts about, but marriage or not, I always knew I wanted to spend the rest of my days with you Eugene. You're _everything_ to me," she insists.

"Are _you_ crying?" he teases her, and he barely has the time to see her smile before she's kissing him again, more intensely this time.

Her hands are tangled in his hair, pulling on it a little as she shifts to be in a better position. Her lips are soft on his, yet this kiss is anything but - Rapunzel presses harder against his body, suddenly above him, and she pushes and pushes and pushes until he can't think about anything but _her_ and her tongue and her skin. She lets go slowly, their breathing still mingling together, barely millimetres separating them. Her hands trail slowly to his neck, then chest, her hair falling around his head.

Being together, it feels like home. It feels like being safe, and being loved and everything he thought a family would have given him, when he was a kid dreaming of one. Except that this is better, somehow. This is someone - no, not someone, _Rapunzel_ , choosing to love him as unconditionally as he loves her, because she sees something in him that's not in anyone else. She thinks he's her dream, and she is his.

And when Eugene thinks about how lucky he is, how lucky _they_ are to have each other - when he thinks back on everything they went through, and thinks about everything they will go through after this quiet moment, he can only smile, and let his eyes water just a little bit more. Who cares about being ridiculous, when he knows that, no matter what, Rapunzel and him will have each other's back forever?

He slips his fingers at the nap of her neck and brings her to him yet again, because he knows that if his lips were free, he would hopelessly babble about how much he loves her. Not that he won't tell her that again and again and again, as much as she needs to hear it; but with his hands fumbling with the back of her dress, while her own are starting to sneak their way to his skin, he's pretty sure he can show her what he means directly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :') yes i've once again written wedding fluff, let me live  
> the idea that Rapunzel and Eugene grow comfortable enough in their love to be able to cry together without feeling like they have to hide is just,,, very soft (it's about the healing from your trauma and being able to trust again because you know that no matter what you'll be loved ok)
> 
> btw kiss scenes are so hard to write and for what. they kept kissing and i was like "pls stop i can't do this again" fgdshdsgfh
> 
> anyway thanks for reading this!! ily!! and early happy new year :D


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